The week that was

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Top stories: Champagne has delivered the earliest harvest for over half a century, mirroring many other regions as Europe's 2017 harvest comes in.

Meanwhile, to coincide with our popular Specialist Importers Trade Tastings (SITT) in Bristol and London this week, Harpers spoke to independent buyers about the pros and cons of dealing with smaller and more focused suppliers.

Elsewhere, news that the squeeze on the on-trade continues, with pubs and bars losing over half a million punters in just two years to stay-at-home drinking highlighted the on-going shifts in drinking habits among the British public.